So much going on, where do I start? Start from the last blog and catch up to now? Or start with now and work my way back? Eh, I'll start with now...
So, I'm finally watching The Sopranos. I've never seen this show before (despite all the acclaim and popularity) and I have to say, it's pretty good. It didn't grab me quite the way LOST did. I usually don't follow TV series, but I have a sad addiction to LOST. What the hell is that damn smoke monster??? Who is that creepy Richard guy? Is Jin really dead?? Will Kate's tank tops be getting any smaller????
I hung out with Harel the other day, and as a gift, he gave me a ney. Apparently, it's going to take me about six months to even get a note out of it. I'll keep practicing. Harel, Ben Holmes and I are going to record tomorrow. Can't wait.
A boy and his ney.
I have a Slow To Wake gig coming up, it's starting to annoy me, actually. Two key members of the band can't make the gig, and I have to decide if I am going to get subs or just cancel. It sucks, I have been working a lot on new music, and I want to play some of it!
I've been starting to score some stuff, you can check out some original music here and here.
More to come soon.
Empirical proof that I've been working on music!
I don't want to sound like a broken record, but if you haven't checked out thru-you.com yet, do it now. NOW! Also, I found out Harel is buddies with Kutiman. Who knew? I guess it makes sense, Israel is pretty small as far as countries go.
Sometimes I go to this site, it's always good for a laugh.
I've been hanging out at the Brooklyn Zen Center, because I get down like that. I do doan work, which basically means I am sort of the Zen eqiuvelent of an altar boy. I get to ring bells, light incense, all that fun stuff. I am a crazy party animal.
With all the trouble with the economy, who has money for new music?
But for those of us who's need for music is nothing less than the need for life-sustaining manna from the heavens and not mere entertainment, you find new music one way or another. You can always check out free podcasts, free radio, etc.
Sometimes, however, you want that album everyone's been talking about, or the one that nobody's discovered yet. You will even do "illegal" things to get the music you need. You need the proverbial dealer to get your fix.
I can't disclose anything, but I found such a source. Lots of albums, all free. Let the music flow mi gente, let the music flow.
However, this slew of new music at my fingertips and flooding my hard drive is not all fantastic.
Some of it has been life-changing (looking your way, Black Moth Super Rainbow!), some of it has made me nauseous.
The aforementioned Black Moth Super Rainbow
Don't want to sound like a hater, but come on...Vampire Weekend? What's the big deal? They don't suck. They sound ok. They sound competent (unlike Clap Your Hands Say Yeah...they are fucking wretched), they sound like they've listed to a couple African pop CDs and became infatuated with it. But that's it. Definitely nothing to get in a frenzy about. In fact, it's so middle-of-the-road, I probably won't be listening to their music ever again. They don't sound like they really got inside African music (like a certain Paul Simon did), in fact they sound like they're just ripping off an aesthetic. (It's what people in the hip hop world call "biting.") Well, they are definitely biting African pop's steez. I already ranted about it in another blog here.
"What are some good bands from NYC to check out, then, EJ?" you ask. My bands and my friends' bands, of course!
I'm psyched about a band I'm in called Monastics. Check out my favorite song of ours here!
We have a gig coming up soon, April 21st at Lit Lounge in NYC.
Other than that, just eagerly waiting for Spring to spring. Come on already!
